Svalbard Favorite Tips by Saagar Top 5 Page for this destination

Organisations, business, culture on Svalbard

Favorite thing: Svalbard.net is the community internet source in Svalbard where organisations, businesses, individuals, clubs and community info of various kinds, events etc will be posted. Check it out. Particularily useful if you are going here for a prolonged time period.
www.svalbard.com

Government services on Svalbard

Favorite thing: The web site www.ssd.no (Svalbard Community Service) is the local government pages for Svalbard. Check it out for listings of cultural activities, sports, various community services etc.

Web cam in Longyearbyen

Favorite thing: There is a web cam located at the old harbour, Longyearbyen, pointed towards the Isfjord and Hjortfjellet mountain. Check conditions before you go by looking at: www.aftenposten.no/webcam/?kart=detailj&id=87
There are also other web cams priovded through a link on svalbard.com. See http://www.svalbard.com/webcam/

Winter darkness polar night at Svalbard

Favorite thing: There is no sun at Longyearbyen, Svalbard from 26 October to 16 February.

The coming of the sun is celebrated with a Light Feast in Longyearbyen.
However, there is a good chance to see the Northern Lights - Aurora Borealis; see web pages http://geo.phys.uit.no/index.html.

Medical services

Favorite thing: There is a small hospital in Longyearbyen with a resident surgeon. For really very serious cases, patients are airlifted to Tromsø or Oslo University clinics. There are helicopters stationed at Svalbard that have air ambulance capacity.
You find the hospital in a fairly large yellowish building on the main pedestrian street in Longyearbyen.
In addition there is a private medical doctor service, too, in the same area where Spitsbergen Travel start their tours from, down at the Ingeniør Paulsen's building. His name is Jon Sandmo, phone 79022040/90186536 for appointment. www.polarlegesenteret.no
Interestingly, birthing is not allowed at Svalbard, so pregnant women are sent back to the mainland by plane a month or so prior to expected date of giving birth. I presume that in case of complications coinciding with bad weather, the mother and child might be in trouble given the insufficient facilities in Longyearbyen.

The weather forecast for Svalbard

Favorite thing: Check these links for weather forecast for Svalbard:

http://met.no/svalbard/longyearbyen.html2nonscript

Midnight sun at Svalbard/Longyearbyen

Favorite thing: Longyearbyen has midnight sun from 19 April to 23 August.

Trouble with the law? Try a lawyer...

Favorite thing: Your husband got eaten by a polar bear? Complaints about being cheated by a cruise organiser? Wrangling with the Sysselmannen over expedition permits? If you need assistance in dealing with the law, there are at least three lawyers in (or experienced in) Longyearbyen:

Advokat Skotte: phone 88003040, e-mail skotte@skotte.no www.skotte.no

Advokatkontoret i Longyearbyen, personnel present every 4 weeks from the firm Haavind Vislie, otherwise the main office is in Oslo, call 22433000. In Longyearbyen: Mr. Håkon Bleken h.bleken@haavind.no, and Mr. Geir Steinberg g.steinberg@haavind.no

The lawyers' office in Longyearbyen is located in the business house (Næringsbygget) on the main pedestrian drag, or P.O.Box 403, NO-9171 Longyearbyen. In Oslo: Bygdøy Alle 2.
www.haavind.no

Planning map for Svalbard

Favorite thing: If you need a planning map for Svalbard, then look at this web address:

http://www.sysselmannen.svalbard.no/skjemaer/svalbard_LR.pdf

There are also other maps on this site, that belongs to the Governor of Svalbard.

A good link to services at Svalbard

Favorite thing: Svalbard Reiseliv AS is the key tourism organisation at Svalbard. You can find a lot of info through their web side.

www.svalbard.net

Tel +47 79025550